Solomon’s first task as king is here. Many would not have bothered and left this to the lower courts. These women wanted to go to the king with the problem and he agreed to hear them.
We all have mothers regardless of the circumstances that led to our birth. We have so much to be thankful for. You may not be proud of your mom, but there are probably things about you she’s not proud of. I’m thankful to have had a real mom. You may not know your biological parents, but that’s all right. As your pastor, I love you like a dad. You also have both mom and dad in the Lord.
I Kings 3: 23 Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
What a decision before Solomon. He had to discern between two women claiming that one living child was their own. He had to decide which one was the mother and settle the dispute. Thank God for real mothers. There are still some even in this day and time. There are many stable homes with moms and dads, but there are single mothers who come from divorced homes. There are mothers who had their children outside of marriage. These have to work hard to make it. You may look down on your mom. Maybe you don’t want her to tell you what to do. She may not be able to give you top designer clothes or all the latest gadgets you want. That’s all right. My mom was in poor health. As a young boy I wanted to be around her and help her when she would get sick. As a teenager I was nowhere to be found when she needed me. Thankfully I got saved and was able to tell her I was sorry for not being there. We all grow up and realize how valuable our moms are.
These women in this story were harlots. There were looked down on. Times were hard. That’s how they made a living. Both got pregnant and decided to leave the brothel. They got a place together with the intentions of raising their children in a different life than the one they led. One had a healthy baby that she loved with all her heart. About three days later the other women had hers. Everything was fine until that night. She lay on her child during the night and it died. When she woke and realized what happened, she took her dead baby and exchanged it for the living baby of the other mother. The next morning the woman woke up, saw the dead baby next to her but knew it was not her baby.
In time the matter came before King Solomon. The real mother told the truth. The living baby was hers stolen by the other mother. The other woman claimed it was the other way around. Nobody knew whose baby it really was but these women and God. Solomon had the child brought to him. He called for a sword. To settle the matter he would have the baby split and give part to one woman and part to the other. Solomon knew he’d get to the truth by putting these two mothers to the test. True moms come through. God comes through. One woman agreed to have it done as Solomon suggested. The other begged him not to do it. She would give up her case and let the other woman have the baby in order save its life. Solomon had his answer. He said she is the mother thereof.
None of us are perfect, but we can be real Christians who are real moms and dads. We can be real children to our parents and our God in heaven. We can treat each other with love, kindness and respect. Our family may not be perfect, but we need to be thankful. Can you think of a better Father than God? A better home than ours in heaven?
You have the chance to come to the King of Kings today and have your matter settled. Whatever it may be, you can trust God to provide the right answer.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 